Shub-Niggurath

[Autumnsky]

The lust incense of a corrupted Astarte. A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices.

In the Imp: Gingersnaps with ginger buttercream topped with candied ginger.

Wet: Gingery goodness, and a waft of something dry and sawdusty underneath... like gingersnaps in a woodshop.

Dry: I have no words. Sexy ginger incense, with that warm woody smell, and something resionus that I can't quite put a finger on.

Lasts all day, and I can smell it on my skin, but it doesn't a)make me feel "off", or b)strangle my coworkers.

Love. Going on the Big Bottle list.

[calivianya]

I wish I got the sexy foody ginger everyone else is getting from this blend. I get a very sharp, astringent ginger. It's so intense it's a little bitter. It is not in the least appetizing and I was washing this one off my skin pretty quickly.

[Klolly]

Finally I get to try Shub! This has been high on my wishlist for quite awhile and it's also been recommended to me because of my love for Morocco, so here we go;

In imp: Yeah, definitely smells like gingerbread. Maybe with a little dirt and perfume mixed in.

 

On wet: A gingerbread man that just got dropped into a cup of watered down coke. Mmm. I get a weird fruit loop smell as well.

 

Dry: This smells really good. It's foody but also perfumery, exotic, mysterious, warm, and comforting. Right now it's gingerbread sitting next to a coke that's been squirted with a lemon or lime. It's also reminiscent of voodoo to me but that makes sense since voodoo smells like soda and lime to me as well. This one seems more trustworthy than voodoo though because I don't see this changing much more, and it's minus voodoo's headshop vibe which I didn't care for, and Shub is more feminine and comforting. All in all I like this a lot and I will probably update in a few hours on throw, longevity, etc.

 

Hours later: This went through a weird phase where it smelled like moist, rotting antique books but that lasted for only a few minutes. Then it bounced back and forth from woods I don't care for to gingerbread cookie, finally settling into lemon creme filled ginger sandwich cookies. Mmm. Makes me happy, hungry and excited that fall is coming.

Edited September 16, 2011 by Klolly

[Missy_killer]

In the imp: The first thing that hits me is strong and bright lemon, and then warm cookies!

 

On me: The lemon disappears quickly, but I still get cookies and now some incense and honey. I can feel immediately that this one will be too overpowering for me and that it will give me a migraine.

 

40 minutes later: It smells like the incense an alternative store here uses, but it's very, very strong. I have to sit with my arm behind my back, I need to scrub this off. Now.

 

I'm very sad to say that this didn't work on me. My head is spinning and I'm feeling a bit ill, migraine will be here soon.

[Sakari]

In the imp: all I get are the spices--gorgeous, but STRONG!

 

Wet: Oh, lemon!! HAI! It's a rich lemon, too, not at all thin, and the spices are there peeking out through the wafts of lemon oil. Nothing in the way of baked goods yet....

 

Ten minutes later: the lemon's easing off now, but I'm still not getting cookie--this is a rich gingerbread cake I used to make, the texture and quality of carrot cake, that had lemon zest in it. Great. Now I'm hungry....

 

An hour later: This is still a deep, rich, well-balanced gingerbread cake with lemon, but I won't be surprised if it turns more cookie-ish later on; it's definitely turning somewhat drier with time. It maintains depth so far, though, which delights me. I may have to ask for a bottle for Christmas!

[Floria]

In the vial, this smells rather like the gingerbread blends I've tried from other companies, although not quite as buttery. On my skin, the incense really comes out, along with a bit of woodiness. Gingersnaps in a head shop! There might be a bit of cinnamon or cassia in it as well, given how my skin reacted.

[elka_knits]

in the bottle~creamy spicy goodness... gingerbread

 

wet~~ argh Pledge

 

1 hr later~~ argh Fruit Loops

 

3 hrs later~~ gone

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): On first sniff, this smells distinctly like ginger Altoids. Oh no! My husband claims he can smell orange rinds and a bit of vanilla. There certainly is a warmness to the scent that does make me think of a vanilla or amber note, even though I do not see it in the scent note description. On third sniff, the resins are detectable, although just barely.

 

Wet: Hmm, I'm getting spicy gingersnap cookies. The resin and spices are making it a bit more complex with the cinnamon and perhaps a nutmeg spice notes of this scent.

 

Dry: Once dry (+2 hours), the vanilla or amber scent has died down so I'm left with spiced/dried ginger overtones with a darker spice (nutmeg) underneath. I'm not a foody person, so this is just an okay scent for me.

[mza]

In the bottle: Mmmmm! Sharp, potent ginger and buttered popcorn! Although it may not sound like an appealing combination, it's oddly wonderful.

 

On my skin: The buttery popcorn is gone, but the ginger is in full force. It's like a mix between raw, fresh ginger, and the strongest gingersnap cookie you can imagine. If you really love ginger ( I do), then you will love this. There's also a hint of citrus peeking through, and it balances out the spiciness of the ginger.

 

The dry-down is a softer, but still spicy, ginger, mixed with a buttery rum/vanilla sweetness.

 

I really love this oil, and will definitely be getting a full bottle. The only downside is that it didn't last very long on my skin, which was surprising because it's pretty strong. It was my first time wearing it, though, so it may have been a fluke. Hopefully it lasts longer the next time I try it.

[nome]

On me, this isn't evil gingersnaps, it's evil gingerbread -- the dark, molasses-filled kind strong on the spice and with a touch of orange peel. It's not foody, precisely -- I'm into gourmand scents, so I might have liked a touch of sweet to warm it up -- but it lasted forever (11 hours and the tiniest wipe of it was still clear to the nose). It also has a decent amount of throw (although it's not snake oil). I kept sniffing my wrist. It's not exactly me, but it makes me feel dominant with a bit of extra swing to my step.

[n3m3sis42]

In the imp:

Cookies and wood? Cookies and Pine-Sol? My nose must be broken.

 

Wet:

Mostly wood, maybe like gingersnaps made from pencil shavings instead of flour. Nose definitely broken.

 

Drydown:

Wood note seems to have disappeared now, which is good since I don't think it was supposed to be there in the first place. Now I'm starting to see why people describe this blend as "evil gingersnaps". On me, it's understated but nice.

 

I'll use up the imp. Jury is still out on whether it's bottle-worthy on me.

[Caper]

I love ginger and I love citrus so all the reviews made this sounds perfect.

 

instead there is something that vaguely reminds me of wet dog? not sure what is happening, but I am glad I have a butler of inextinguishable hated on the way.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Caper

[KissleMeNow]

The first sniff reminded me of Miskatonic University, in an odd way. Something – I'm guessing the resin/spice combination – comes out very nutty to me. The ginger doesn't smell of gingerbread to me, more like fresh-chopped ginger root. Shub-Niggurath is strong and sharp.

 

However – and this is the first time this has happened to me – there's something profoundly unsettling about the scent. I sniff it, and feel viscerally uncomfortable, for some reason. Since this is from the Lovecraft collection that's absolutely perfect, in a way, but even though the smell itself is nice, I don't think I'm planning on wearing this.

[Incendiare]

Finally, the infamous Shub and I have crossed paths. In the vial, this is totally not what I was expecting. It's spicy, yet in a more black peppery way, and following that is a something slightly herbal and woody. This will sound a little crazy, but it actually reminds me of a heavily spiced cucumber. Wet, it's the exact same. I detect a bit of gingerbread in this but it's overshadowed by the peppery spices and questionable cucumber note. I was expecting a darker gingerbread from this but what can you do

[relax]

I'm sorry to say this, but not being a fan of Queen of Sheeba, Shub- Niggurath is another take on the former. Just lots of ginger added.

[curlsandpearls]

Bottle: Ginger comes barreling out of this bottle, holy crap. Good thing I like ginger.

 

Wet: Foody gingerbread, but a dark gingerbread. I usually don’t like foody, but I’m intrigued. Gonna keep this one on for a bit, see what it does.

 

Dry: The gingerbread is fading, and I can barely smell anything on my skin but the lingering ginger and a bit of nutmeg-esque spice. Not much power at all; my skin ate this one.

[PixieSkull]

Imp: Oooh, ginger's there. A bit of lemon and something slightly herbal on top. Underneath, there's... something.

 

Wet: Sugared lemon rind and ginger, front and center. Little bit of herbs and something like incense coming out.

 

Dry: The sugared lemon and ginger mellowed a bit and the sweet incense came out a bit. It does fade quite a bit after a few hours of staying strong.

 

This is very pretty on me but doesn't last as long as I'd like. After 6 hours, the throw was non-existent. The scent was still a creamy, lemon-ginger incense scent, though. I was worried it wouldn't turn out on my skin, since it seems to be a favorite like O and Snake Oil are and I just can't wear those. Unlike those amber-laden scents, this is lovely. I'm fond of it and I can see why it's so popular.

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: strong enough to make me cough upon opening. and uh oh, a dark oil - these never seem to turn out well on me. but ok, focus! this is slightly earthy, definitely dark and a bit smoky. if there are any herbs in it, it's the sort that grow in damp dark unfriendly places; no light green floral stuff here! it's spicy, but not in the cinnamon sort of way. it almost reminds me of paprika, but if paprika were blackened and scary. I don't catch ginger in it either. it makes me a teensy bit hungry when I sniff it, though I can't identify why. but it makes me want heavy bread and a thick soup.

 

On my skin: the ginger comes through more on my skin than it did in the bottle, but it's still decidedly earthy in a way that I don't typically associate with ginger. the thickness of the incense is overwhelming. this is not a light perfume, period. the herbs still make it seem heavy and slightly damp. thick is a good word for this one. I wish I could better identify/describe it, but the resins don't seem to want to be described. they're just...thick. and earthy. and evil. maybe a little plasticky. like others have noted, it turns quite lemony later on, which adds a bit of brightness to it.

 

Last thoughts: not for the faint of heart. this is thick and more than a little evil/unfriendly. it does mellow to a softer earthy incense as time goes on, but I don't think I could wear it. I'm a fan of lighter scents in general. this is thick earthy incense dotted with blackened ginger.

Edited May 2, 2012 by frecklestars

[Antoinette]

Spicy dark ginger. Delectable and a bit foreboding. Love it!

 

I literally dabbed on just a smidge from the imp and it was enough to last for hours. Throw was amazing from just a teenie drop. Amazing stuff.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Lovely foody ginger and dark chocolate, oddly.

Wet: Like some amazing dessert featuring ginger and chocolate. YUM.

Dry: We have these massively popular biscuits here called Gingernuts, and this is like one of those, but AMAZING. And with chocolate. This is lovely, but proabbly too strong for daily wear - the throw is epic, but could probably kill a man at 30 paces.

Half an hour later: Has settled to a very sweet and spicy ginger, similar to Eclipse, and thus not unlike the pink sparkly ChiChi spray I wore in high school. I really do like this one.

[Soniadevi]

A lot of fuss has been made over this scent, to the point where it had taken on an almost mythical quality in my eyes, so I had to order an imp to test it out.

 

At first I thought "what's the big deal? It's ginger".

 

Then I tried it again. WOW!!! GINGERBREAD INCENSE!!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

 

Now, after trying it several times and attempting to bathe in it (unfortunately, I cannot fit inside my imp) I realise that it was a big deal all along. To not own a bottle of this, I could not call myself a true BPAL addict. I must rectify this immediately! This is the absolute definite on my next order! I can't believe I waited this long. I can imagine all those Shub lovers out there, shaking their heads in dismay that I didn't think to try this sooner.

 

 

Edit: I before E except after C. Yes, yes, my brain won't let me forget it.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Soniadevi

[sharkdiver]

Omg...I just discovered the amazing ness that is shub!!! Holy crap!!

 

I get lemon shortbread cookies and freshly baked gingerbread...I want to eat my arm right now!!! I definitely will pick up a big bottle of this once I use up my Imp!

[KakashiMorph]

Many thank yous to the lovely forumite that gifted this to me, cuervosueno. She is awesome.

In the bottle: *does a cookie monster impersonation* Cookiessss. Cookies and something from the citrus family, either lemon or orange, I am not sure. I want to eat it, all of it.

On my skin: Dark, delicious, gingery cookies with lemon zest. Great, now I want to eat myself! After a few minutes the raw feeling of spicy cookie dough subsides and I am left with just the spices. I can very distinctly smell clove and lemon and it is delicious.

Drydown: Clove and spices and a faint hint of lemon. This smell is delicious. I never would have thought that being an evil outer deity would smell so yummy (and now I want to eat spicy cookies). >>

[MtMoonKitty]

This is a gingerbread loaf with a lemon drizzle frosting served with coca cola. Somehow I get a light hint of chocolate too.

 

In the bottle it is very foody, almost candle-like. It is quite similar wet and then dries down to my first description. Ginger hasn't been good to me in the past. I wanted to love Burning Vulva... and did when it was in the bottle. But it turned to that cloying "old" baby powder scent. This is a truly warming ginger. This might make it to my bottle list (if only there was room for one more!)

[fufu_berry]

I LOVE ginger, so I was dying to try this. Unfortunately, I get zero ginger - on me, this is a not very appealing combination of potpourri spices, frosting, and plastic. Very very sweet and foody, almost to the point of making my teeth ache. After about 15 min the sweetness dies down a little, but then all I get is plastic. Definitely going to have to find a new home. :/

Edited October 20, 2012 by fufu_berry